A Looser Definition of Mutant
by Zoken
Summary: Completed!!New Students in Bayville (not OC's) one for each the BoM and the X-Men. will they turn the tide in the war against each other, or will they be more kindling for the fire. PP/JG and MM/WM figure those pairs out. have fun and please R/R!!
1. Marvel

Argh!! Arachnophobia beat me to the punch with this idea. Well here goes. You've now got a little hint as to what this is about.  
  
A Looser Definition of Mutant  
  
Chapter one  
  
As students filed into the hall, the scrawny young man felt for the first time in a long time, nervous of his peers. Finally all the students of the Xavier institute were in the main dining hall. So Professor Xavier began, "Ladies and gentlemen, we are happy to welcome a new student today, who has already begun to make a name for himself," the professor turned his wheel chair to allow every one a more full view of the entirely unimpressive young man, "Allow me to introduce to you Mr. Peter Parker, also known as the Amazing Spider-Man."  
  
"You're shitting me right?" even blurted out before he could catch himself.  
  
"I take it Mr. Daniels that you have heard of Mr. Parker," Xavier said to Evan aloud, while telepathically rebuking him for his language.  
  
"Huh, actually I used to go down to the arena and watch The Webbed Wonder wrestle."  
  
Peter blushed at the mention of his brief, but profitable wrestling career. He looked around the table, there were plenty of seats, but he felt drawn to one in particular. It was a seat next to a tall girl, probably one of the oldest there. Peter had no question as he sat down, as to why he was sitting here. There was just something about red-heads.  
  
"Hi, I'm Jean," the tall red-head introduced herself.  
  
"Peter, but I guess you already knew that," he said. Peter wasn't sure who to be. As peter Parker he had always been shy and timid, but as Spider-Man he had been bold, fearless, and smart-assed. But he decided to go with Peter Parker. After all, who better to begin as. "Um, so how well are mutants received here?"  
  
"Not very," she said, "Most people still think we're freaks."  
  
"Well, aren't we?" asked Peter jokingly. It earned him a stern glance form Jean.  
  
Then from the other side of him came a voice, gruff and harsh, "Ignore Red. She's a bit too politically correct."  
  
The man's face was covered in stubble, and though he also received Jeans cold gaze he returned it with equal ferocity. Jean turned away and said, "Okay, so we are a bit 'freakish' but not Freaks."  
  
A boy in red glasses on the other side of Jean leaned forward and said, "Hi, I'm Scott Summers. So when did you first find out you were a mutant?"  
  
"Uh, actually I require a looser definition of 'Mutant'. I was bitten by a Genetically altered spider. It transferred certain traits on to me; such as relative strength, the ability to walk walls, and what I like to call spider-sense, and also agility."  
  
"uh, like, did I hear right? Spider-Sense?" Came the questioning voice from a Brunette straight across from him.  
  
"Yeah, you see some spiders have such sophisticated sensory that their nerve conduction borders on precognitive. Basically I can sense danger before I know its there," Peter explained.  
  
"Like, sorry, but spiders like, totally give me the creeps," said the brunette. Peter smiled, that was completely normal. Well as normal as things got nowadays.  
  
"So Peter," spoke a tall African-American woman, "Why did you see fit to come here? If the reports I heard are true, you have more than control over your powers."  
  
"Well Miss. . ." Peter said trying to prompt her name out.  
  
"Munroe, Ororo Munroe."  
  
"Well Miss Munroe, I have lived with my aunt and uncle since my parents died in a plane crash when I was, like, three," everyone made the appropriate sounds of apology, which Peter hated. They had done nothing wrong, why were they sorry, "Anyway, then it was just me and my Aunt for a while after. . . after. . ." Peter had to steal his courage to say this. Jean put a comforting hand on his back, "After my Uncle Ben died. And then I was unmasked on public TV by my own damn boss. And then my Aunt has a heart attack and dies." He stopped there was a single tear in his eye. Jean could tell it was one of many he had been holding in for the longest time. "So since I had nowhere else to go, my ex-girlfriend was not an option no matter how much she offered, I looked for a place for teenagers with incredible abilities, this was the first on the list. . . well that is first after the Jerry Springer Show."  
  
Every one was stunned, none except the professor had known of Peter's many tragedies. But peter continued as if he had opened some damn he could not close, "I am even responsible for the deaths of my two best friends' parents." Peter's tears were now choking his eyes, but somehow he held them back. He knew from experience that crying would not help. He had to pull himself up by the bootstraps and keep living. He had to remember what Uncle Ben said; "With great power, comes great responsibility." He had a responsibility to keep on living and doing everything in his power to help mankind. Now that his mask was useless he had to resort to hiding in the safest place for a monster like himself.  
  
Suddenly he found another hand on his back, one that seemed to know. He looked up and saw the boy in the sunglasses standing there. His face was twisted with remorse. He said, "I wont go away, or get easier, but its something you have to live with. Its something you have to carry with you. And in the end, you're a better person for it."  
  
Peter would have told him to go to hell, but there was something in his face that let Peter know that Scott knew what it was to be guilty of spilling innocent blood, what it was to loose all you had. Peter smiled and thanked, and Scott smiled back as he took his seat. Peter shook his head and let Spider-Man take over; "Okay am I lucky enough to have this get me out of school?"  
  
Everyone groaned as they suspected the whole thing had been an act. Scott, Jean, and the Professor knew differently. Within moment Peter's face was back to normal, and he was laughing and cracking jokes. When the professor announced that school started in two hours, every one began to grab their gear. "Hey Peter!" Jean called.  
  
He turned to her, and was stunned by how beautiful she was. "You want a ride."  
  
Peter had planned to swing to school, but he would not be passing up a ride from her. "Sure, let me grab my bag, I'll meet you in the driveway."  
  
Thirteen minutes later Jean was sitting with the passenger seat empty, but the back taken up by her classmates, well the female ones any way. Rogue and Kitty sat together because Kitty could phase if Rogue got to close on accident. Amara was in the back with Rahne and Tabitha. "If he doesn't show I am so stealing that front seat," Amara proclaimed.  
  
It was just after she said this that a small blur dropped through the open sunroof, quickly followed by a larger blur. The smaller blur had been a backpack, the larger one had been the owner; Peter. He smiled at Jean and the girls, "Sorry for makin ya wait. I got lost and then just found a window and said, 'The heck with it,' right." Jean smiled, something she rarely did when someone used their powers frivolously.  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Mean while across town in the Brotherhood of Bayville Boarding House, Remy LeBeau walked into the living room, followed by another figure. The second figure stood, well dressed in a preppy sweater and khakis. His sunglasses would have given him the full "Scott Summers" look, except that they were ordinary black instead of Summers' scarlet. He struck the cane that he was carrying, and said without looking around, "What a dump. And why is it that the short one is begging to be let out of a closet?"  
  
Gambit was impressed. His skills were all that Magneto had said that they were. Then came the actual inhabitants of the boarding house; four boys and one woman.  
  
They stood before Remy and Pietro asked, "So what has my father sent with you this time."  
  
"Magneto send you a personal trainer and tutor," as he looked at Pietro's smirk to the rest of the Brotherhood, he added, "For all of you homme."  
  
Pietro zipped around into Remy's face, "What's that supposed to mean, neither me nor my sister need training." As usual he spoke so fast that all his words seem to run together, but his "friends" had no problem interpreting his speed-speak, but unbeknownst to them, neither did their new resident.  
  
Remy continued, "Magneto say dis boy gone live wit ya, and Remy don't ask moe. Magneto say he gone train ya'll to fight, and Remy don't ask moe. Magneto say he gone to tutor ya, and Remy say, 'Good some of dem need it.' But you wan try and prove you don't need his help Quicksilver, go on right a head."  
  
The platinum blonde boy looked the newcomer up and down, and then zipped straight in for a basic super speed punch, but instead of finding himself with a bloody fist, he found himself with a bloody nose and face down on the ground. Most thought that the prep had simply dodged and tripped Pietro, which in itself was a feet, but what only Gambit and the Prep knew that also there had been a blow to Pietro's nose as well. Pietro would have known this too except that his eyes had been arrogantly closed.  
  
Wanda was the first to look at the prep's knuckles. "Shit, you're bleeding!"  
  
"Am I he said," trying to sound tough, when in fact he hurt like hell from his bloodied knuckles.  
  
"Yeah," Fred said, "Of course ya are, what are you blind!?"  
  
"Actually," Matt Murdock said taking off his sunglasses and revieling his empty eyes, "I am."  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11  
  
Okay so I know that DareDevil is totally not a bad guy, but bare with me for now. R/R if I can get enough Reviews I will add more chaps! 


	2. Schooling

Pietro picked himself up off the floor and cast an angry look at the slim figure in front of him. Wanda walked into another room, and came back with some gauze and began to wrap Murdock's hand. Meanwhile the toad was turning his head this way and that looking at the figure in an odd fashion. Suddenly recognition flew across his amphibian face and he dashed up to his room. With speed to interest Pietro, he bounded back down the stairs and was about to hit the trainer in the chest when he stepped aside. Todd looked up at him and said, "Yo, Mr. Devil, can I get ya autograph. I thought you was dead. But you aint you alive!"  
  
"So that explains it," Pietro said as he took in what he had heard from the frog, "So you are some sort of demon? No wonder you could dodge me."  
  
"No," Murdock said, "he has me confused with my father, Jack "the Devil" Murdock, a boxer. I am Mathew Murdock. I am a lawyer, and I am known as The Dare Devil. And I was able to dodge you because you are predictable." Most looked upon him with admiration.  
  
"Can I get yo autograph anyway," asked Toad, "I aint neva met no one from Hell's Kitchen who actually became somebody."  
  
Matt turned his face to toad, put his sunglasses back on, and said, "No."  
  
He stepped in front of them and shifted gears, "Listen, today I will test you. I need to know what kind of training you all need. Tomorrow will start the actual training. You will be ready and standing at the base of those stairs at five AM, or you will be woken rudely. Is that understood?" Not one person was happy with the Daredevil's proclamation, but after seeing his dealing with Pietro none wish to anger him.  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Peter navigated his way through the halls. It was between his first and second period. He was standing at his locker when who should come-up beside him but the ravishing red-head who had driven him this morning., "Hey, Jean"  
  
"Oh, hey Peter. I guess we're neighbors," she said pointing at he locker next to his. They began talking about his biology class and how bored they both were in that, when Jean heard a familiar voice come and hang itself into their conversation, "You know you ought to be more careful about who you hang out with, new-guy," Taryn stated dripping with distaste for Jean, "this is one of those radioactive freakoid mutants."  
  
Jean's face burned bright red. Looking from Jean to Taryn, Peter could tell that the two had once been friends. He decided to bait the girl a bit, "Oh, really, she looks normal to me." He started putting on his sweet routine that used to be his standard mode.  
  
Taryn moved in, she could tell Jean like this boy. And any man Jean like had to be taken. "Yeah, but she and all her friends are mutant monsters," Taryn began to lean in to Peter; she didn't realize how close she was.  
  
"Aw, now a nice girl like you wouldn't try to befriend someone like that would you?" Taryn shook her head, smiling in victory. "Then back off Bitch," Peter said harshly," Taryn stepped back and looked at him, he was sticking to the front of the lockers. She jumped back as if Peter had shocked her. Everyone was laughing.  
  
As Taryn ran from the scene in a fury, Jean leaned on Peter and said, "God, I have been waiting for someone to get her since she dumped Scott!" Throughout the day Peter continued getting congratulated for his burn by the other mutants. All in all it wasn't a bad way to start off. He thought he was in trouble at lunch though when Scott actually pulled him aside.  
  
"hey I heard about what you did for Jean this morning. Thanks,"  
  
"No prob. Um, Scott I have been wanting to ask you about something."  
  
"What is my relationship with Jean?" Scott supplied.  
  
"yeah, you two seem really close. Are you dating?"  
  
"No, we are just best friends. The absolute best. As in if you hurt her I will be forced to look me in the eye."  
  
"got ya. I take it that that is what you wanted to talk to me about."  
  
"Yup."  
  
"I would never hurt her. . . on purpose." Peter fidgeted. He then looked at Scott's glasses and asked, "How do you know what its like to spill innocent blood?"  
  
"When I was ten, my parents and I were in a plane crash. The pushed my brother and I out in the only parachute. We hit hard and I suffered brain damage. It was the part of my brain that keeps the beams in check. When I woke up in the hospital three weeks later, I opened my eyes, and fifty people died. It wasn't until the professor found me three months later that I was able to open my eyes without hurting people."  
  
Peter knew that friends in his life who could actually understand what he had been through were rare. He wasn't going to hurt Jean or Scott. He needed friends.  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
later on that night.  
  
A thunder storm had stirred up. Most of the Brotherhood made jokes about Storm being on her period, and such. On the roof, Matt Murdock sat and listened. He could hear everything happening in the house. So he wasn't surprised when a young woman stuck her head out the window as she climbed out. "hello."  
  
"Hey," the girl said. She pulled her jacket tighter around her. She liked thunderstorms. They reminded her of how she felt inside. She looked at the stranger that they were now welcoming. She knew he was blind, but she could swear he was looking around. "what are you doing out here?"  
  
"I like thunderstorms," he said. "My hearing is sensitive enough to give me sort of a sonar. So that when the thunder goes off, I get a nice picture of what the area must look like. I also like the rain. Same reason. Its about to rain you know."  
  
"How do you. . ." she began but she stopped as tiny patters of rain started to fall.  
  
"So what brings you out here Wanda?" Matt asked.  
  
"Thunderstorms remind me of myself. Rumbling and dangerous. Looking for a target."  
  
"And what is your target kid."  
  
"My father. He dumped me at a psyche hospital when I was eight. He will pay for that hell. And where do you get off calling me 'kid' how the hell old are you?"  
  
she took in his features, his blank eyes, his simple understated jaw. He was handsome, but not a teen. "twenty eight," he said. "you know you are too young to have so much hate," and then without thinking he added, "and too pretty."  
  
She did a double take. Did he just call her "pretty"? Was he hitting on her? No he couldn't be. He was a decade older than her. But still she had to admit. This was the first man she had met that she actually felt attracted to.  
  
They sat in silence as the thunder and the rain filled the air. Both watching for their own reasons. Both enjoying the others company. As the rain stopped, he turned to head in. at the window he turned back to her and said, "I wasn't kidding I am expecting you to be ready at five. "whatever," she said simply. She watched him go back in the house. And looked up in the sky. She thought to herself, "why is it those stars make up his face?"  
  
There you have it, please let me know what you think. Try it please. 


	3. Training Daze

Okay here is A Looser Definition of Mutant part III, Training Daze  
  
Matt Murdock was in his red jumpsuit and surveying his new charges. Three of them had managed to make his dead line; Quicksilver, Avalanche and the Blob. He shook his horned head. "well it looks like Mr. Tolensky and Ms. Maximoff need wake-up calls. Who wants to wake Ms. Maximoff?" Dare Devil had expected Avalanche and Blob to leap at the opportunity, but instead all three of them looked nervously at each other. "Please don't tell me you are afraid of a young woman," Dare Devil said tersely. "Fine, Quicksilver, start a warm shower, make sure there is roughly a foot of water in the bottom. Avalanche, Blob, you two will wait until Quicksilver joins you, and then you may use any method you see fit to wake Toad. Quicksilver, I also want Scarlet Witch's uniform and some towels in the bathroom ready for her.  
  
Everybody went to their chores. As soon as the shower was ready, Dare Devil proceeded into Wanda's room and lifted her ever so gently from the bed. She was a heavier sleeper than most would have thought. She mumbled a few things and turned her head in towards Matt's chest. She began to stir as they got into the bathroom, but barely had, "what.,., huh?" out of her mouth before she was unceremoniously dropped into the shower. The thin white night gown she had worn clung to her body as it was instantly soaked through. She was enraged, and had thought for a moment that he was some sort of pervert. She quickly remembered that he was blind. She threw a hex-bolt at him, but he dodged it simply.  
  
He turned as soon as he knew she was fully awake. He spoke over his shoulder, "I told you I wanted you ready at five, it is now five ten. You have wasted ten minutes of my, yours and your teammates time. Do not do it again. Finish your shower, get dressed and meet me down stairs. You are already late." He walked out, after dodging another hex-bolt.  
  
She arrived down stairs twelve minutes later and was completely unimpressed with the "training" she witnessed. Lance and Freddy were on the floor, legs crossed, and eyes closed. Pietro was sitting in an easy chair. "Some training," she muttered.  
  
She quickly received a quick and light strike on the head, not enough to hurt, but enough to get her attention. Dare Devil leaned in the corner watching the present teens. "Your greatest flaws are rarely ever in strength or power. They are usually in your control. Avalanche and Blob are meditating to help them achieve emotional control, quite critical to the mastery of their powers. Quicksilver is forcing himself to learn patience and self-restraint by remaining motionless for twenty minutes. And if he doesn't stop tapping his toes as I can hear him doing, he is going to stay for another twenty minutes. Pietro growled.  
  
"So what is my training?" she asked.  
  
Dare Devil smiled maliciously, "I was informed of Mr. Tolensky and yours special relationship. I will give you the option of training first or second."  
  
"First," she said defiantly.  
  
"Alright, first the instructions; for the next ten minutes you may not harm Toad," Wanda flinched when Todd's face lit up, "now do you see that coat closet over there? Get in." she did as instructed, and Todd hopped in after her. "I will open the door in ten minutes, for every time you strike Toad, you will run a mile. Have fun." Ten minute rolled by. They heard much growling, innumerable advances to Wanda, but just as Dare Devil was about to open the door, they heard a blood curdling scream from Todd. Matt looked at Wanda, and though he didn't doubt that Todd deserved whatever she did, he frowned.  
  
"Alright, you want that mile now, or what?"  
  
"Tomorrow, your brother already has fourteen push ups to do. I must admit I a impressed. But it is time for all to come full circle. Toad?" Dare Devil said looking at the quivering mass on the floor, holding his genitals.  
  
"Yeah?" Toad squeaked.  
  
"Back in the closet. This time the situation is reversed slightly. Your job is to not anger the Scarlet Witch. Wanda, you may do whatever you wish to him," Toad's eyes went wide as plates, "as long as you are provoked.. Meaning, he must make the annoying move first, then you may attack."  
  
"And I will know the difference," he added as he shut the doors. When the doors where opened again, Toad sat in the fetal position with most of his hair singed black. Dare Devil looked down on Toad and said, "Don't worry buddy only three, not twenty three," he then looked at Wanda, who obviously had no remorse for what he had done, "I said you had to be provoked hon. not you had to be breathing."  
  
She just shrugged and walked up to her bathroom, she had worked up a sweat with Toad. She was washing her hair when she realized, "he called me 'hon'."  
  
As she pondered the meaning of this, four rooms over, three men were forcing another into a shower, "And use soap this time!" Matt yelled as he left.  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Across town several hours earlier, Peter could not sleep. He was used to being up nights and swinging across the city. So he decided to slip down stairs for a midnight snack. He had the old habit, one started to keep from waking Aunt May, of crawling on the ceiling, to avoid creaky floorboards. He make his way downstairs and into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and was very happy to find BBQ leftovers, he grabbed a couple of hotdogs and some toppings. He nuked the dogs and started preparing the buns. Now I should probably explain that up to this point he hasn't left the ceiling. As he put the now piping hot hotdogs onto their buns he thought, well it aint a corner dog, but then again this aint the city. As he took a bite, he looked over and saw another pair of eyes. The odd thing about them was that they were in a face which appeared to Peter as right side up. Meaning that the face was upside down. Both faces screamed and released the ceiling. Peter landed right side up and caught the two hotdogs and for some reason, a loaf of banana bread. The other figure barely managed to land right side up.  
  
The blue figure clutched his three-fingered hand to his chest. "Jesus, Kurt!" Peter yelled, "You scared the shit outta me!"  
  
"I'm sorry friend, but I am not used to anyone else being up dere, or up at night, or in here at night." Kurt was breathing quickly; Peter wasn't the only one who'd been scared.  
  
Suddenly Logan burst into the room, claws out looking for danger. When he spotted only Peter and Kurt he said, "Elf, how many times have I got to tell ya, leave food out, and you attract insects."  
  
"Arachnid thank you," Peter said with a nod.  
  
"Just don't bother going back to sleep, the professor wanted me to give you something anyway Parker, follow me. Kurt shrugged and followed behind Peter. They went down a level, and into the bowels of the school. There they came upon the entrance to the danger room. Peter hand yet to be introduced to it. "The Professor asked me to show yo this." Wolverine hit a button on his right and all the teams uniforms slid out. They were the back-ups of course. Peter looked at each one and understood its importance. He had seen these guys fight on the news, then he came to one he didn't recognize. It was bright royal blue, as opposed to the dark midnight blue the other uniforms used. On the center of the chest, was a scarlet spider, its eight legs splayed out to form and "X". Peter was touched by the uniform. They had given him a personal one. He knew that all the other new recruits had received standard, midnight blue ones. He saw on the back of the wrists was another pair of spiders, these had their legs wrapped around the wrists. The shoulders had pads like Cyclops and Spyke's uniforms. And of course he had a yellow belt, with the black and red "X" emblazed on it. He saw on a small shelf inside, what could only be web shooters.  
  
"Give it a try kid," Wolverine said. Peter didn't have to be told twice, he was already have way into it, when wolverine tossed something too him. It was a mask that covered all but his lower face and the top of his head so that his hair stuck out at all angles. It had his original spider-man eyes. The rest of the mask was the same electric blue as the uniform, the eyes were white and rimmed with red. Peter checked himself out in a mirror. Turning to Kurt and Wolverine, he said, "So what do you think, tell me honestly, does it make my butt look big?"  
  
Wolverine growled and walked away to start the danger room up, while Kurt laughed his butt off at Peter's joke, he said, "Nein, but it does make you look like Captain America."  
  
"Yeah, but like so much cuter," said Kitty, who had just phased through the ceiling. "Nice outfit Spider-Man."  
  
Peter looked down at the uniform he was wearing. He thought for a moment and said, "Spider-Man is the reason I lost everything. My costume is gone, and now so is he. Kitty if you want to use a codename for me, call me.,., The Scarlet Spider!"  
  
"Well, Scarlet Spider," said Scott, putting a hand on Peter's shoulder, "Its time for danger room calisthenics. Are you ready?"  
  
"Born ready Cykes," then he leaned over to Jean who had just walked up, "come on calisthenics with my super-strength? how hard can it be?"  
  
Peter was worried when Jean couldn't stop laughing. He understood fully an hour and a half later, as he drug himself from the room. Apparently "calisthenics" had just been a euphemism. Every one was dead tired. They worked with the "Storm Catcher" program. Peter's charge had been Jean. He made them work to get the two marks on her that they had. It had been Peter against everyone, and Peter was proud to saw, he only lost by a little. "Alright kids up to yer rooms and shower, breakfast and then school!" Wolverine called.  
  
Peter decided he didn't want to wait for traffic to clear so he leaned to Jean and said, "Want a short cut?" She gave him a "yes" look and he grabbed her by the waist. Now while the halls were far too small to swing in, he could still jump and zip-line. Only Kitty could keep up as she didn't have to go around walls. Peter was tired, but with Jean to show off for, he wasn't about to show it. It reminded him of the first time he had met the Black Cat. It had been just after he and Gwen broke up, and he couldn't help but try to show her how impressive he could be.  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!  
  
"Alright," Matt Murdock said to his young charges, "You may not like the fact that you are back in school, but you will behave there. If I have to go to court to keep you in school I will. But I will also notify Magneto that you are attempting to deviate from my training and tutelage. I expect to see exemplary grades, especially from the one who claims to be the leader," he said this eyeing Pietro. "Now fall in to the Jeep."  
  
Everyone crammed into the Jeep, Lance being the only one with a valid license was driving, with Wanda in the passenger seat, and the other three squeezed in back. Suddenly Matt came bounding out of the house, cane in hand, and jumped onto the step on the passenger side. "Uh, teach," Lance asked, "What are you doing?"  
  
"I used to be a delinquent myself, so I know the best way to make sure you are at school is to be there, I am teaching Intro to Criminal Law. And I expect that you are unsuprised that all five of you are enrolled."  
  
Three groans met his ears from the back seat. His sonar told him that Lance was wearing a smile about his face, and that Wanda was staring at him. He said nothing except, "Lets go Alvers."  
  
WELL????? Please R/R pleeeeeease. Tell me what you think of the new spidey costume. And yes I know that Ben Riley is technically the Scarlet Spider, but I am going to borrow the name for this. Oh and tell me if you like all the pairings! See ya! 


	4. Old Love, New Love

Alrighty then. The next chapter in the Looser definition of a Mutant series. Listen I am having trouble accessing FFN so please forgive me if I post this a little late.  
  
Old Love, and New Love  
  
He could tell that she was staring at him. Her pen hadn't moved for three minutes, her face was pointed in his direction, and her breathing had become steady. To be honest, he had almost lost himself in listening to her breathing. But he shook his head, "She's dead, this isn't her," he berated himself silently.  
  
"Are you having problems Wanda?" he asked. They were grading his fourth period papers, since she was in his sixth period she helped with the others.  
  
She turned back to the pages in front of her, "Um no. its just that I have to keep checking the answer sheet, and well you have to take the time to read this by finger. I was thinking, maybe this would all go faster if I read the page in front of you out loud, and you, grade it."  
  
"That sounds like a good idea, here hand me the page you have," she handed the paper to him, and as she passed it off, their hands touched ever so briefly. And for the first time in her life, the Scarlet Witch blushed to match her wardrobe.  
  
"No," she silently chastised in her head, "I do not blush! I am fear, I am anger, I am not some yuppie red head who gets all giggly when my crush is around. What am I talking about I don't have crushes . . . especially not this guy, he is ten years older than me." As she continued her internal tirade, she was also mindful to thank the goddesses that he couldn't discern color. Along time ago he had told them that he could make up for sight in every way, but color.  
  
"You're blushing," he said simply.  
  
"How would you know?" she sneered, trying her best to get rid of the rosy cheeks.  
  
"The temperature in your cheeks is up, and your pulse is quickened. Uh, are you uncomfortable around me?"  
  
"Actually quite the opposite, I am very comfortable around you."  
  
"I like spending time with you too."  
  
The blush spread across her cheeks again. He leaned over and reached into his bag, "Wanda, I picked something up that I thought you might like. I noticed you were running low on particular incense. So I took the liberty of stopping at a shop in town and picking up some replenishing for you. He held the small brown wrapped packages out to Wanda.  
  
When she unwrapped them, she found the exact scents for patients, strength, and love. "How did you know?"  
  
"Well, lets just say the nose let me know you were using them less and less, so I assumed that you were running low. And I knew the scents; I make it my business to know those sorts of things. I thought any Wiccan would be able to use those."  
  
She looked at him oddly though, "Its just that I haven't actually been using the one for love," he was busted, "but I have been thinking about using it."  
  
Wait, was she saying what he thought. "Time to take a chance," he thought to himself. He reached over and took her hand, "Wanda, you have made my stay here, more. . . ah . . . pleasurable than it would have been without you. What I'm saying I guess is. . ."  
  
She didn't let him finish, she put her lips on his. All she was thinking was, "Age, be damned. I'm already headed to hell. Lets at least make it a fun trip."  
  
It didn't take long for Matt to return her passion. When they did pull back he asked, "Wanda, are you sure? I don't want to force you into anything you don't want."  
  
Wanda chuckled, "Like you could force me." And so they embraced again, a witch and the devil, in a moment of passion. They would have to hide it from the others. But it would be enough for them that they knew.  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
"Peter!"  
  
"Huh, what?" Peter had drifted off while awake.  
  
"Peter Parker, you have been staring at me for the last ten minutes. Would you please just bolster whatever courage you used to fight Tock Ock or whatever his name was and ask me out," Jean said all this with a mood somewhere between joking and actual anger.  
  
"I .. Uh. . . I don't think that would be a good idea." He grabbed is things and started to bolt from the kitchen table. It was then that he remembered that he was trying to run from an accomplished telepath.  
  
"Parker, sit!" Jean said forcefully.  
  
When she released him, he grudgingly obliged. "Now tell me what the hell happened with that ex-girlfriend that makes you so afraid to ask me out." She wondered if she had overstepped a line, but she felt she needed to do this. Peter was being so sweet, but seemingly refused to officially ask her out.  
  
"You'll have to be more specific," he said looking at the table, "I've had three, er four, ah three. . ."  
  
"You know, with numbers that low, people don't usually loose count."  
  
"Well you see its like this, my first girlfriend was this girl, Gwen Stacy. We broke up because she was having some issues with her fathers death, and so was I."  
  
"What do you mean, 'so was I'?"  
  
"I am the reason her father died. I was there on the same street as him, fighting, by the way, Doc Ock. Octavius was throwing debris, both me and Captain Stacy were pulling people out of harms way. Then it came to two people left in the area, I grabbed one, and Capt. Stacy shoved the other out as a huge chunk of concrete came crashing down. I wasn't able to pull Capt. Stacy out in time. He died there. Gwen began to really fall apart. So after a while we broke up.  
  
"Then there was Felicia Hardy, rich girl I tutored, apparently I grew on her. She and I had a few dates, but I was split between her, and this other girl I was seeing."  
  
"Wait, you were two timing her?"  
  
"Technically it was Spider-Man who was seeing this other girl. You see, I had noticed this other person swinging around the city lately. It turned out to be another costumed vigilante calling herself 'The Black Cat'. She and I began to team up a lot. And we got very close. And then when the Green Goblin unmasked us both, luckily in private. I was quite shocked to see I had been fighting with Felicia after all."  
  
"Wait, so the Black Cat was Felicia Hardy?"  
  
"Yeah, but she was none too happy to see that I was Spider-Man. A few weeks later we were most definitely history. A week after that she was going around with her old boyfriend from Romania, who by the way is a vampire.  
  
"And then there was MJ. That is Mary-Jane. She had lived next door to me for the past fourteen years, and we had never met. Aunt May set me up with her via her Aunt Anna. She showed up at the door and, well . . . wow. We went around together for months. It was my longest relationship. I even told her, about me and Spider-Man. She was actually cool about it for a while. But apparently she had been building up fear, and worry, and it didn't help that she was a very jealous girl."  
  
"What do you mean 'jealous'?"  
  
"Well, you see Gwen and I had remained friends, in fact she often stayed at my house when she and her mother got into a fight. MJ didn't like it. She never did anything crazy, she just wasn't afraid to show her disapproval. She didn't trust me I guess. Maybe it's because of what I told her about the whole Felicia/Black Cat thing. Anyway, the straw that broke the camel's back was when Gwen's mom split town. Aunt May invited Gwen to come live with us."  
  
"Ooh I bet that didn't go over real well."  
  
"No. And it's worse than you think. Gwen blames Spider-Man, and now me, for her father's death."  
  
"Eesh."  
  
"Anyway, after Gwen moved in, it was all over but the crying. Of which there was a lot. Then a year after Gwen moves in, I am unmasked. I just was so stupid." Peter didn't realize he had started crying. His voice had not changed, but tears were flowing freely from his eyes.  
  
"Come here," Jean said, and she moved around the table. She put her arms around Peter and laid his head on her shoulder, "Shh, its okay."  
  
"Everything I touch dies, my parents, Uncle Ben, Capt. Stacy, the Osborne's, Aunt May. How can it be okay Jean?"  
  
"Because, it wasn't your fault. You did nothing but try to make the world a better place. Any person who blames you for anything is a fool."  
  
He wiped his eyes furiously, "I'm sorry. I never was much of a tough- guy. Listen Jean, I really like you. But I am afraid that if we go out, something horrible will happen. I am afraid you would get hurt."  
  
"Peter Parker," Jean said, sounding amazingly like her own mother and Aunt May, "Do I look like the kind of girl who must be constantly protected?"  
  
"No," Peter admitted.  
  
"Now I am really just going to forget your whole sordid love life, if you can tell me one thing."  
  
"And that is?"  
  
"Did you ever. . . That is did you and any of them ever. . . um well. . . are you a . . ."  
  
"What?" Peter asked, unable to believe what she was asking. "Yes of course. I cant believe you would ask that!"  
  
"Well this day and age you never know."  
  
"Oh alright. Jean Grey, would you do me the immense honor of being my girlfriend?" Peter asked, knowing the answer.  
  
"Gee, this is such a shock Peter," Jean said, laughing sarcastically, "Of course, Web-Head."  
  
"Whoopie, And do you know what the best part is?" Peter asked with an evil smile on his lips."  
  
"What?"  
  
"My girlfriend looks great in skin-tight spandex."  
  
"You little creep!" she said with a smile. She was going to hit him but he was already off. She chased him around until she lost visual on him. She was about to search telepathically, when he dropped from the ceiling, and knocked her to the ground. she looked up at him as he knelt over her, she reached up and pulled him by the neck down to her level. And with that, Peter Parker and Jean Grey kissed for the first time.  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Elsewhere in the same house. . .  
  
She looked out the window. At the different recruits running around, goofing off. She isolated herself. It was for others protection as much as her own. But somehow she hated it. She loved her solitude, but hated the loneliness that came with it. There were days she wished that she wasn't a mutant. That she could touch, and feel. That she wasn't hated. But she knew that fantasy was no substitute for reality, so she tried to let such dreams remain as such; dreams. She was so preoccupied with hating fate for her power that she didn't hear the young man approach the door. She didn't hear him swallow hard, or steel his courage, just to talk to the young goth. She did hear the knock on her door.  
  
"Hi," Scott said brightly when she opened it.  
  
"Gahddess, don tell me we got anuther danger room sim!" the southern bell exclaimed.  
  
"Uh, no actually I was going to ask you something," Scott struggled to keep his voice in control.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I said, 'I going to. . . "  
  
"No, what were ya going ta ask me?"  
  
"Oh, well do you like musicals?"  
  
she looked at him with a look that could only mean, "do I look like I do?"  
  
"Oh, well its just that Andrew Lloyd Weber's Phantom of the Opera is going to be in town this Friday, and well Jean just doesn't get good theatre." The last part had been a lie, but he didn't want to take his best friend out.  
  
"Wait, Phantom of the Opera? Ah love that show, scratch mah previous response, do you know where I could get tickets?"  
  
"Actually I have a pair of tickets, I thought you might enjoy it. I would certainly enjoy the company."  
  
"Are you. . ." Rogue wasn't sure what to assume, "Are you askin me on a date?"  
  
"Um. . . Only if you say yes. If not, then this conversation never happened."  
  
"Well then . . . uh, I guess the conversation happened." Rogue smiled as Scott's face lit up with joy and surprise.  
  
"Great!"  
  
"But its your own damned fault if you pass out cause you tried somethin."  
  
"Deal."  
  
Well?!?! Please R/R please!!!!! And I put more Rogue in, as asked. 


	5. Masquerade part one: Mutants and Masks

Okay, Time lapse!  
  
Hey by the way, I have been asked about this. Now Yes Peter is used to being a super hero. And normally he wouldn't be so run ragged by the Danger room. But it was himself against all the X-Men, and the Danger room. The only one he wasn't fighting was Jean. That is why he was tired.  
  
We begin tonight one week from Halloween, and BHS is having a costume ball. Who is going as what? Read on and find out  
  
Mutants and Masks  
  
They stared at each other. Minimal blinking. Golden eyes gazed with a challenge into brown ones. "Like, are they staying up there all day?" Kitty asked as she ducked beneath Peter and Kurt. The boys had started a ceiling contest. Since both of them could actually stick to the ceiling, they were trying to see who could do it longer. Unfortunately for traffic, they had chosen to hold it in the kitchen. The harshest reprimand they had received though was a growl from Logan.  
  
"Come on, how often do I get a chance to challenge like dis?" Kurt said with out removing his glare.  
  
"The smurf has point," peter said, backing up Kurt.  
  
"Don't worry," Jean said walking into the room, "We'll put an end to this."  
  
Standing beside Jean was Amanda Sefton. Amanda turned to Jean and said, "You know there is going to be a Halloween dance in a week," as she spoke both of them cast very obvious glances to the boys. The boys could no longer hold their stare and were sneaking peaks at the two girls.  
  
"Yeah Amanda. I wonder who would take us." With this both girls turned their attention to the boys. Both began to shake. Without warning they made their move at the same time, Kurt bamfed out and Peter zip-lined down in front of Jean.  
  
The boys took their respective girlfriend in their arms and said at the same time, "Would you go to the dance with me?"  
  
The girls high-fived and answered their boyfriends. Across the room sat a young man in glasses next to a Goth girl. He turned to her, and with out saying word she nodded her head. Suddenly they heard Tabitha call from another room, "Rogue, Pick up the phone!" when she did, she took it into another room and no one but Tabitha and he person on the other end heard the conversation.  
  
One week later every one stood around in a large gymnasium. A few people were waiting for their dates to arrive. Among the waiting were Scott, Kitty, Jean, and four women who all apparently believed they were on a date with Pietro.  
  
Evan had been roped into MC-ing the event and he started the dramatic entrances for the costume contest entrants. "Alright Bayville. Tonight we have a group entry.  
  
"First up we have Lance Alvers. . ." Lance ran into the Gym from the main doors. The only way he could be recognized in his costume was his still disheveled hair. Other than that, his costume was a perfect imitation of Scott's uniform. He ran into the center of the Gym, put a hand to the side of his visor and said, "Alright X-Men lets ROCK and roll!"  
  
"Next," Evan said, barely able to contain his laughter. In fact everyone was laughing, except for one man dressed in a tuxedo and half a white mask, with ruby eyes. "We our southern beauty, Rogue. . ." Rogue ran in with a long red hair wig on, in a copy of Jean's uniform, put a hand to her temple, and held the other one out saying, "Ah caint hold it fer long ya'll!" She jogged over to join Lance. Quite quickly a facsimile of Glenda the Good Witch stopped laughing and glared at her.  
  
"Next up we got Todd Tolenski," Todd hurtled into the air in the center of the gym. As he neared the ceiling he yelled out, "Bamf!" When he landed, it was obvious that he was wearing sewn together gloves, and Kurt's uniform. He said, "Yo, chicks dig da blue dude, Ja!" There was hardly any effort put into the "German" accent. And with Todd's appearance, a young man in white pants and a goofy white hat, and covered in blue fur stopped laughing.  
  
"Alright welcome next, Tabitha Smith!" Tabby ran out into the center of the gym in Kitty's uniform, with her hair dyed brunette. The best she could come up with was, "Like, lets so totally kick their butts, for sure." This time there was no loss of laughter, in fact, a young brunette dressed as Dorothy was literally rolling on the floor laughing. Those closest to her were able to over hear, "Oh My God, that is, like, so totally me."  
  
"And now Pietro Maximoff," this time Evan said it with a good deal less enthusiasm. His enthusiasm dropped further when he saw his uniform on Maximoff, who had dyed his hair yellow, and cut it just right. Several girls swooned when he said, "TheSpykeManisinthehouse" not that may people understood what he had said.  
  
"and now Freddy Dukes," by this time Evan was no longer amused with the knock-offs. That was until Fred entered. He was dressed in orange and black, with the tell tale mask. He did a lot of growling and sniffing and used the word "bub" a lot. But he lost the whole image when he looked to his right and yelled, "Oh, Hot wings!" and dove on them . . . literally. Luckily only three were injured.  
  
"Next . . . next . . ." Evan could hardly speak now. So he just blurted it out, "Wanda!" Wanda walked in wearing a blue uniform, with a cape, and a flowing white wig. She said in her haughtiest voice, "Winds . . . Heed my call" she used her power to make a little lightning spark, and then walked over to join the others.  
  
"And closing up the group, our own Law teacher, Mr. Murdock," Matt wheeled out in a nice wheel chair with his shades on and a bald cap covering his hair. He put his had to his temple and hit a button to play a tape of himself saying, "X-Men, to me!"  
  
very few had even gotten the jokes, most of the X-Men fumed about their impersonations. Then Evan quieted the floor, "And Finally, the incredible, the astounding, the terrifying, the wondrous, the Amazing Spider-Man!" The spot light whirled around to where Peter was obviously supposed to make his entrance, but he wasn't there. Then from above a whistle rang out.  
  
The spotlight moved up, and there, hanging upside-down, was Peter, in the original costume. "You know," he said, "You make me sound all 'angry back alley' and I'm really more 'friendly neighborhood'. He flipped over as he released the beam he had been holding and dropped to the floor. All the non-mutant students were shocked. Peter looked at them calculatingly and said, "Um. . . boo?"  
  
Though he couldn't prove it, he was sure at least one person fainted. But it didn't matter. He made his way to his girlfriend. She pulled up his mask and kissed him saying, "You're late."  
  
A few feet away, the fake Jean Grey approached the Phantom of the Opera and said, "well, what do you think?"  
  
Scott stepped close to her, pulled the wig off, and said, "There, perfect. Just like before." Rogue's eyes filled up with tears. She put her hand over his mouth and kissed the back of her hand.  
  
She then said to him, "you keep bein that sweet, and I may have to find a way to get closer."  
  
"Hey, Can I get everyone's attention. We have someone brave enough to do Karaoke up here!" Evan shouted this and handed the mike off to none other than Lance Alvers. He had the visor pushed up on his head.  
  
He looked out at every one, spotted the only one who mattered and said, "Listen, it shouldn't come as much of a shock that this is dedicated to Kitty Pryde. But Kitty there are a lot of songs that have this question asked, but this one I thought, would show you just what I am willing to do to let you know how I feel." He turned to Evan and said, "hit it"  
  
He then proceeded to sing the song, "Do You Love Me?" in the most flaming way possible. He looked down at Kitty and asked, "Well Kitty? Do you?"  
  
She launched herself at him. he asked her to take a short walk, and she said yes. He was regretting what he was going to have to do. But he had to do it, becase he loved her.  
  
Out in the hall, Wanda was talking with Matt, both still in full costume. "Is my wig on straight?" she asked.  
  
"Its perfect kid." He answered looking at her adoringly.  
  
"Don't call me that!" she roared, "Its bad enough that I'm your little tart, you don't have to remind me of it every day!"  
  
"What?" he said taken aback, "That isn't how I think of you Wanda." She refused to look at him. he stood up, and put a hand on her shoulder, "You mean the world to me. You are not some fling Wanda." She turned around, he knew that if she were anyone else, she would be crying. "I love you." He blurted out. He hadn't intended on saying it, he just did.  
  
"You . . . you love me?"  
  
"Yes. You are everything to me. You are the color in my life. I can't live without the sound of your voice, the feel of your skin, the smell of your hair, the taste of your lips, or the beat of you heart."  
  
TBC . . .  
  
Okay here is the costume list.  
  
Scott: the Phantom of the Opera  
  
Jean: Glenda the Good Witch (Wizard of Oz)  
  
Evan: MC Hammer  
  
Kurt: A smurf (Amanda went as Smurfette)  
  
Kitty: Dorothy (Wizard of Oz)  
  
Peter: The original Spider-Man  
  
Lance: Cyclops  
  
Rogue: Marvel Girl (Jean)  
  
Todd: Nightcrawler  
  
Pietro: Spyke  
  
Tabby: Kitty (ironic huh?)  
  
Fred: Wolverine  
  
Wanda: Storm  
  
Matt: Prof. X  
  
Bobby: Frosty the Snowman (he used Styrofoam, he will have to destroy the costume to. . . well I'll tell you that later  
  
Sam: Evil Kneivle (ask your parents)  
  
Jamie: wore his uniform  
  
Jubilee: dressed up in kimono left to her by her mother and wore some traditional make-up  
  
Those who aren't mentioned her will show up in the next chaps. We get some action coming up! 


	6. Special Orders

Okay, Flash Back. This is taking place some time before the dance. So sorry about the interruption, but you need to know this to get what is about to happen.  
  
Special Orders  
  
The small troll like man cringed before his master, "You asked to see me, sire?"  
  
"Yes Mastermind. How long will Daredevil remain under your influence from this distance?"  
  
"I can keep him in check as long as I am conscious. What did you wish to speak with me about?"  
  
The tall, dark mutant in red turned to the cowering troll, "My source inside my brotherhood tells me that Daredevil is growing quite close to Scarlet Witch. Is this true, do you not have complete control over him?"  
  
Jason knew he was in trouble. "My lord, it is not possible for me to control all aspects of his personality. His mind, being so strong, requires my constant supervision as it is. Besides the presence of your dau . . ." he was about to name Wanda as Magneto's daughter, but after the raged look he was given he thought otherwise, "Er . . . The Scarlet Witch helps keep him happy there. It makes things easier. I assure you, his feelings for her a pure and deep. He genuinely loves her."  
  
Magneto rounded on Jason quickly, "You think I care if he loves her or not?! She has tried more than once to destroy me, if it comes down to a choice between me and her, who do you think he will pick?" Jason knew better than to answer. "This situation needs to be rectified. There is a dance coming up, isn't there?"  
  
"Yes lord, A costume ball at the children's school."  
  
"Perfect. A costume ball. This is the place to make our ultimate stand. Call my Acolytes; once they arrive I will give you all your orders. And get Quicksilver here too, he will have a large part to play in this indeed."  
  
With that the troll-like mutant went into a trance, and Magneto seated himself on his throne of cobalt. His eyes stared blankly out into space as he recalled the past. He recalled his father and mother torn from him in that hell called a camp. He remembered meeting Charles, oh, how excited he had been. He remembered the birth of his children. He was still shocked at how unmoving it all was. he remembered scattering his seed to the wind; Wanda to the mental hospital, and Pietro to the foster home. He knew that all his plans had been laid, and with his recent acquisition of the demon, he felt all his plans were unstoppable. 


	7. Masquerade part two: Betrayals of Love

Sorry this chap has been so long in the wait, but I have been having too many ideas for other stories (owiee, brain hurt) okay, sorry I had to interrupt with special orders, but it will be needed later. Here we go!  
  
Masquerade II: Betrayals of Love  
  
Kitty walked hand in hand with Lance into the parking lot, he had pushed the homemade visor up to the top of his head. She was worried about him, he seemed so serious tonight. "Is something, like, wrong Lance?"  
  
"Everything Kitty," Lance said with a sad voice. "Kitty I love you, but I am on the opposite side of this war than you. I am afraid someday it will force me to either hurt you, or hurt my friends.  
  
"Lance, you'd never hurt me, I know that," Kitty cooed.  
  
"Join us," he blurted out.  
  
"What? Join who?"  
  
"The Brotherhood, Magneto . . . Me."  
  
"But what about the X-Men, my friends, what about my loyalty?"  
  
"What about us?"  
  
both fell silent after that. They had reached Lance's jeep. He reached inside as he said, "Kitty I just know that I never want you to get hurt, so I got you this." He held up an adorable teddy bear in one hand, and the other hand hidden behind the animal. She was about take the bear into her hands and ask how it would protect her when Lance pulled the tranqualizer gun from behind it. He pressed it to her neck and injected the liquid. She looked up at him with fear as she began to slip out of conciousness, "don't worry, I wont hurt you, but I cant let you be hurt in there. As she finally fell completely unconscious, Lance laid her across the backseat of his Jeep and covered her with a blanket.  
  
He made his way back inside, with the reloaded tranq gun now set on projectile, to fire a dart, instead of inject. His cohorts sidle up to him as he nodded and answered their question, "yeah, I'm ready."  
  
"So, the pretty Kitty comes with us to night? You are planning on sharing your toys right. I mean that is a tasty looking body she has . . ." he was cut off as Matt struck him on the head with the cane.  
  
"If you ever touch her Pietro . . ." Lance threatened. But he too was cut off as Matt said, "It's time."  
  
Matt took the tranq gun from Lance and fired it at Jean, and she went down like a sack of beans. People scattered, trying to understand what was happening. The X-men had only to look over and see all the Brotherhood standing as a unit and their latest mentor holding the "smoking" gun. In a second all hell broke loose. Pietro began running around the room creating mini-twisters, Lance turned part of the basketball court into a roiling sea of earth and wood, and the Scarlet Witch was throwing hex-bolts in all directions.  
  
Wanda made her biggest mistake when she happened to hit Jubilee, who had worn a genuine antique kimono that her mother had left her. She had worn traditional make-up to compliment the kimono, but now no make-up could hide Jubes' rage. "This belonged to my Great-great-grandmother!" she screamed looking at the scorched shoulder. Jubilee began throwing her own pyrotechnics. It was becoming an all out duel of bolts.  
  
Meanwhile Scott had take to trying with all his might to fire a blast through to knock out Lance, but every time it was blocked by a new outcropping of earth. Peter, who had had a lot of experience fighting groups of bad guys began snapping out orders, "Jamie, go to a bout twenty and do some crowd control get the civilians out of here! Bobby, Ditch the Styrofoam and ice up the floor, remember without friction Quicksilver is a sitting duck!" he didn't dare give orders to rogue who seemed to be doing fine on her own. She was treating the Blob like a bull and acting like a matador. Every time Freddy charged her, she dodged easily.  
  
He then decided that it was time to contribute. From his vantage point on the ceiling he spotted Daredevil holding the tranq gun. He shot a line of webbing and yanked the gun from his hand saying, "Hey Spanky, that was my girlfriend you shot! And that kinda pisses me off!"  
  
The fight was well matched. Spidey leapt at Daredevil and through his standard array of punches and kicks. The match could have been a dead heat, as Matt's martial arts knowledge made up for his utter lack of enhanced strength, and Peter's Spider-Sense compensated for Daredevil's super sharp senses. It was When Matt "saw" Wanda get struck down that the tide turned. Matt landed a lucky kick to the side and knocked Spidey off his trajectory.  
  
He landed beside Kurt and Amanda who were calmly sitting atop Toad. Peter raised a brow to ask how he did it, but Kurt gestured with both hands and his tail to Amanda, who had beside her a broken tombstone, the other half of the tombstone lay beside Toad's unconscious head. "Nobody messes with my blue man," she said simply.  
  
Matt knelt beside Wanda, who was just starting to shake off the effects of the blast. It was then that Pietro spotted them and yelled for Matt to hear, "The Man without fear has no love!" and upon hearing these words, Daredevil's eyes and face lost their emotion. He reached down and grasped one of his sticks and brought it up to be near Wanda's head who was just beginning to worry about her love's actions. By depressing a barely noticeably button, a foot long blade came out the end and he braised it as to strike Wanda.  
  
"Matt? Matt, what are you doing?" Wanda asked as she began to scoot away. Matt's face showed no emotion as he began to move toward the receeding witch. "Matt, I love you, don't do this. I thought you loved me." For the first time Daredevil flickered. Only for a second at first, and then he was back to his advance. Then he began to fight it more. He dropped the stick and clutched his head in agony. His scream was that of pure anguish.  
  
Spider-Man, who had seen all of this with puzzlement, suddenly received a flash. 'Spider-sense, tingling!' he looked around and didn't see anything that he didn't already know about. It was strange, it wasn't the "immediate danger" tingle, it was the "active threat" tingle. He got that in fights or when someone dangerous, but not about to hurt him, was around. 'Gotta trust the Spider-sense,' Peter thought, 'It hasent been wrong yet . . . well venom doesn't count.' Peter closed his eyes, allowed his Spider-sense to aim his arm, and shot a spray of web. When he opened his eyes, there was a short, very ugly man on the ground, covered in a loose net of webbing. "Yes, Ten points for hitting the little troll," Peter exalted.  
  
Matt released his head and looked at Wanda, who was looking very worried about him. he smiled at her, and collapsed. She caught him and went to her knees with his head in her lap. She just held onto him, while allowing her probability field to form a protective bubble around the two.  
  
To take stock; Blob was continually ramming himself into the walls, Toad was out cold, Quicksilver was frozen in a block of ice, Matt and Wanda were out of the fight, and Lance was the only active threat. Peter thought it wouldn't be much longer. The wall to his right being knocked open by a metal fist quickly corrected him.  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
oh cliffie! Next chap we get to some hilarity. Wise cracks from the wall crawler, and electrocuted Sabertooth, and Rogue goes WWE on Colossus. BTW if anybody knows some good, specific wrestling moves, ie: the peoples elbow, Diamond Cutter, etc., please tell me, I don't actually watch wrestling. 


	8. Masquerade part three: Reenforcements

I'm baaaaaaa-aaaaaaaack! Okay here we go!  
  
Emerald Knight: thank you so much, I will try and work those into the story  
  
Kurtfan: oh just wait. We get some classic Spidey Commentary here.  
  
Okay I don't usually put this, although I think I am supposed to: I do not own any Marvel Comic's characters, if I did . . . well who cool would that be! Oh and um, don't sue me I aint got jack. Oh and I will be stealing some of Web Head's lines from the video games and movie. Just a warning.  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Re-enforcements  
  
Three acolytes swaggered into the room as if they owned the place. Peter snapped out a couple quick orders; "Rogue, drop the Blob and use his strength on Colossus! Bobby, go cliché and take on Pyro! Fuzzy Wuzzy is mine!"  
  
The acolytes had no problem with Spider-Man's pairings. Sabertooth looked at him and said, "I'm gonna rip off eacha yer legs and use yer bones ta pick my teeth."  
  
"Really!" Peter said as if he had just been complimented, "Nice coat by the way, did your husband give it to you?" Sabertooth roared in anger and charged our favorite Wall Crawler. Luckily for us, Spidey dodged easily out of Creed's way. Unluckily for Victor, Peter was standing in front of a fuse box. Sabertooth's claw, which he had raised in order to impale the young super-hero on, sank right through the metal covering and quickly hit wires. A large electric current surged through the world's greatest assassin, and even after he extracted his hand, he smoked a little. "Did ya get a charge outta that?" Peter asked in his mocking voice. Unfortunately the healing factor kicked in and Victor Creed was back after his target. While Sabertooth might have been quick and agile, he was no match for a spidey-sense. The faster Sabertooth tried to charge the spider, the harder he kept hitting the wall. Spider-Man was treating Sabertooth the same way he treated the Rhino, distance is a friend. As Creed slammed his head once more into a wall, Peter commented to no one in particular, "Man! You would think he'd get wise to this trick by now." With one last charge, Victor narrowly missed Peter, but not the other undamaged fuse box he had been standing in front of. a few thousand more volts flowed through the monstrous assassin, and he fell to the ground, unconscious. Peter put one foot atop Sabertooth, like a boxer who'd just won a bout, saying, "Once again good conquers because evil is dumb!"  
  
His task complete, he swung to the ceiling to watch everyone else. He saw Bobby and Pyro in the world's dumbest stalemate: Bobby was throwing his ice beam, and Pyro was throwing his fire stream. Both were shouting as the concentrated deeply on maintaining the streams. "I swear, one of them is going to go 'Super Saiyan' if they keep that up" Peter mumbled. He looked over at Rogue and upon seeing her fight decided that he was a spectator for a while. He whistled down to Kurt and waved him up. He weaved a web basket for Amanda, and they just sat there watching Rogue, with the strength and resilience of the Blob, wail on, and be wailed on by, Colossus.  
  
"Dude!" Kurt said, "Mein Sister is going WWE on his candy ass!"  
  
Both Amanda and Peter give Kurt, whom they have never hear swear (at least not in English), a very odd look. They turn back to the fight. Kurt begins to yell out the moves that Rogue is using, "The Diamond Cutter!" at one point she picked up a chair and Kurt screamed to her, "Giff him der Van- Daminator!" Rogue nodded to him and did so. The down side however was that the total of the "Van-Daminator" was that the folding chair Rogue had used, now had a nice imprint of Colossus' face. Suddenly Kurt was jumping up and down (a rather large mistake as he quickly remembered he had been on the ceiling, and ported back) and screamed, "The People's Elbow! She's gonna giff him der People's Elbow!"  
  
Peter looked at Amanda who again shrugged her shoulders. "Dude, I used to be a wrestler and I don't know this crap, what is with you man?"  
  
Kurt looked sheepishly, "Vell, Rogue and I haff been vatching WWE Smack-Down as a relationship-building activity. I vanted us to do things together since ve are brozer und sister."  
  
As time wore on it was becoming more and more obvious that Rogue was running out of juice. Then a boy clad in Red white and blue with a helmet, who turned out to be Sam Guthrie, cried out to Rogue, "Tag me in!"  
  
Rogue got out of the way as Colossus looked confusedly at Sam. Sam Screamed as his legs seemed to ignite. Suddenly he rocketed like his namesake, a cannon ball, and fire straight into the Russian behemoth's gut. They went through two walls. When Sam came wandering back into the gym, his helmet was cracked and askew and he wobbled a little, but he gave a thumbs up to show all was well.  
  
Cyclops had finally landed a hit on Lance, who now had to deal with Jubilee throwing projectiles at him as well. Lance was down, Toad was down, Pyro had just run out of propane and was now (like Pietro) encased in ice, Colossus and Sabertooth were both down, but Peter was still worried.  
  
"Vhat es wrong Peter?" Kurt asked as they all began to regroup.  
  
"Well its just that . . . well wasn't there another Acolyte?"  
  
"Qui!" the Cajun shouted as he leapt through the entrance Colossus had created. Everyone tensed at the sight of him. "Now we gon' play Remy favorite game . . ." he called. "Fity-two cahd pick-up!" with that he took out his deck and charged every card as he sent them all in different directions. Remy ran after that.  
  
The entire gym was ablaze now. Luckily, thanks to Multiple, there were no civilians. Kurt began grabbing the unconscious and porting them out, and just as he left with only Peter and Cyclops left, parts of the roof began to collapse. There was now only one exit left; a high window which only one of them could hope to reach in time.  
  
Scott looked at Peter and nodded his head toward the window and said, "Go, get outta here."  
  
Peter was suddenly having a flash back to Captain Stacy. Without a word he hoisted Scott above his head and said, "Take care of her. She deserves to be taken care of." then he added silently to himself, "this time I do the right thing. This time I save the good guy." He then hurled Scott through the window. He knew Cyclops would probably have a few broken bones, but be little worse for the wear. The second Scott was through the window however, the roof gave away. And the entire gymnasium collapsed with one occupant still inside.  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
is this the end of Peter Parker? Was this the last round-up? Tune in next time, same Spider time, same Spider story for the next chapter: The Death Of Peter Parker! 


	9. The Death of Peter Parker

Okay I gave you a good cliffie, huh? Okay more people need to be reading here. and reviewing! Okie.. On with the show!  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
"They're right," Peter thought, "It does all go before your eyes before you die. Steadily his mind took him through the past. He watched himself get bitten, he watched himself wrestle, he watched all the failures, and all the horrible mistakes he'd made in his life. It filled him with despair, he felt nothing he had ever done was worth this much tragedy.  
  
Then he heard a voice, prim and familiar, saying, "No, no, no. Here." suddenly, where there had once been images of failure and death, there were images of life, and success; the time he had saved a kindergarten class from the Rhino, the time he had delivered a baby (the elevator was stuck, and the woman couldn't be moved), the time he caught a jumper who had gone on to create a new kind of drug to combat cancer. Not just as Spider-Man did he see images of heroism; the time he had taked Harry out of opening his wrists, the night he held Gwen in his arms for three hours when her dad died and mother split, the times he helped Aunt May from one room to another in her closing days. He saw all the good he had done.  
  
As he tore his eyes from the scenes of joy, he realized he was in a tunnel. At one end, far away he saw a light, perfect and beautiful. Then he noticed that there were people around him, six of them. Two were faces that no one could wipe from his mind, the faces of Aunt May and Uncle Ben. The beamed at him with . . . could it be? Pride?  
  
Then beside them was another couple, one that despite the fact that he could remember seeing their faces, he would never forget them . . . his mother and father, smiling with approval.  
  
Then next to them a lone figure in a trench coat with his shield hung on a chain around his neck. The man who had haunted Peter's dreams gave him a simple thumbs up. "Thank you Captain Stacy," Peter whispered.  
  
The he turned to the final person, the one who had whispered. She was a face all to familiar. Peter had mixed feelings about seeing her there. "What is the test this time Madame Web?" Peter asked of the extra- dimensional being.  
  
"No test this time Spider-Man, this time it is over." She said it all with a smile of warmth, "You gave your life for another, that is impressive, not at all unexpected, but impressive nonetheless. It is time for you to be at peace young man."  
  
Peter's mother and Aunt put there arms around his shoulders and hugged him tightly. "So I'm dead?" Peter asked of the mysterious Madame Web.  
  
"You are what you choose to be," she answered, "as always when you see me, you may choose."  
  
"Do you mean I can still be alive?"  
  
"You can choose to go back to earth, and struggle through an excrutiating recovery, which may not even be complete. You would then continue to live your life the way it has always been, marked with persecution, pain, and abandonment. Or you can choose to continue on to the next realm, to paradise, to heaven. The choice is yours."  
  
Peter had made many more important decisions in his life, but none had been as startling as this. He looked behind himself, away from the light. He saw all the X-Men digging furiously to get to his body. Then he saw them find it, with no pulse. He saw Rogue go into a fit of curses, Jean began a frenzied attempt at CPR, Scott, Kurt, Amanda, and Jamie wept, the others paced waiting for the finality. He looked back at his family that stood around them. One by one they began to nod simply with understanding smiles. Peter faced Madame Web and said, "I'm not done yet."  
  
Madame Web smiled her knowing smile and said, "Impressive, not entirely unexpected, but impressive none the less." She waved her hand and . . . . .  
  
"Goddamnit, Fight Peter!!" Jean screamed before she breathed into his mouth. She felt once more for a pulse. Noth . . . wait! There was a pulse! It was faint, but there. The adults were just starting to arrive, as were the news crews. In the end, Daredevil, the Scarlet Witch, and Avalanche all came back to the mansion. It was going to be along period of recovery. But Peter would be there. On the way to the mansion Peter opened his eyes and said to Scott, "yer mom wanted me to say 'hi'" then once more he passed out. He would live to fight again another day. For such was the life of the Amazing Spider-Man.  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1  
  
next chapie: Visitors! Spidey has made a lot of friends in his career, but who will it be that comes to visit him, and why is it that the mansion now looks like half a jungle? 


	10. Visitors

Okay, I know some of you were worried about Peter, but he pulls through. Luckily the Marvel-verse has several doctors who specialize in Peter's "Unique" areas.  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Peter's head felt foggy, but it slowly began to clear. His vision was still blurry, it was clearing much more slowly than his head. He saw two moving blobs of color around him. he tried to say one of his famous wittisisms but all he could manage was, "Unghh"  
  
Immediately a red blob moved towards him, "Pete? Peter? Are you okay Tiger?"  
  
"whoozat?" Peter managed, his speech becoming clearer with each attempt, "Jean?"  
  
A yellow blob of color now moved towards him. he could now tell that the colors he was focusing on was hair. These were two girls with long hair. The blonde spoke, "Man he still isn't back yet if he don't recognize you."  
  
The redhead chuckled and said, "No Pete. Its me Mary-Jane." His vision gradually returned and MJ's face came into full resolve. Peter instantly pulled her into a hug, ignoring the screaming pain from his muscles.  
  
When he released her the blonde said, "Yep, now he's back."  
  
Her face was all to familiar. Peter just stared, with a gaping mouth. "g . . . gwen!"  
  
"Hey," Gwen said, "finally got the bug outta my ass." Her joke died on her lips. In a single moment she and peter were wrapped up in a hug, with MJ joining in.  
  
"How did you guys get here?" Peter finally asked.  
  
"Your professor had us flown in. the cutie in the shades flew." Gwen explained.  
  
"Watch yourself," Peter warned, "His girlfriend won't appreciate that. And the girls can be rather vicious around here."  
  
"We hard about what you did," Mary-Jane continued, "and we had to come see if you were alright. All your friends did."  
  
"what friends?" Peter asked.  
  
Gwen gestured around the room, "Where do you think all these came from?" she was speaking of the flowers and plants that now lined every inch of free space. Dr. McCoy had to be having a fit. "And these are just the ones from Harry. The rest are around the house."  
  
"Harry sent these?" Peter was confused; last he had heard, Harry blamed him for the death of his father.  
  
"Harry sent these," Mary-Jane affirmed, "Felicia's are in your room." She said "Felicia" with a special amount of distaste. Peter smiled, MJ still loved him. But he had to be honest, he no longer loved her, not in the way he once had. Mary-Jane continued, "Felicia apologized for not being able to be here, but they're in Romania and that vampire she travels with refuses to travel passenger style. She may take a while to get here, but she'll try.  
  
A voice from outside the room sounded, "Hey, we hear him awake, don't hog all the visitation time!" it was a familiar and rough voice. The girls gave him a gentle smile and said that they'd be back. It only took fifteen seconds for the owner of the voice to squeeze sideways through his doorway. "hey Spider-Puss," said the enourmous, orange, powerful, ever-lovin', blue- eyed, Thing.  
  
He was Quickly followed by the rest of his family, who each greeted Peter in their own fashion. "Hey, Web-Head," said the Human Torch.  
  
"Peter, are you alright?" asked the Invisible Woman.  
  
"Kid, how ya feelin?" asked Mr. Fantastic.  
  
"Dr. Richards, I assume that you were the one to help Dr. McCoy." Peter said to Reed Richards.  
  
"one of them kid," he responds.  
  
"By the way, Wall-Crawler," Johnny said with the usual annoyance he used when talking to Peter, "Our flowers are in the rec. room."  
  
After a few minutes they too left, and Peter nearly had a heart attack when the Avengers walked in. Peter greeted the heroes that he had tried to emulate; Captain America, Iron-Man, Ant-Man, and Thor.  
  
"Don't worry kiddo," Steve Rodgers assured Peter, "We knew that Ms. Maximoff might be in a certain amount of danger from reprisail from her father, so we went ahead and made her an offer."  
  
"what do you mean?" Peter asked.  
  
"Tony opened the door and said, "Peter, welcome the newest member of the Avengers . . ." and as the smallish female form walked through the door, Tony said in his most dramatic voice, "The Scarlet Witch." With that Wanda Maximoff walked in smiling. Peter gave his congratulations and eventually the Avengers left.  
  
It was a long procession of heroes who came through the school.. each was one that Spider-Man had helped though the ages, he was most frightened when the Punisher came through, a man who had once attempted to kill him. then there were only three left.  
  
Peter almost fell out of bed when Robbie Williams (A/N: I don't know his actual last name, all I ever heard him called his Robbie), Ben Urich, and J. Jonah Jameson walked into the med bay. He wanted to shout and curse at J.J. but restrained himself as he thought it would hurt too much. "Peter!" Ben greeted, "long time no see. How are you feelin' kid?"  
  
"Like a roof fell on me," Peter said, never taking his angry eyes from Jameson, "What the hell is he doing here?"  
  
"Now Peter . . ." Robbie began, but Jameson held a hand to stop him.  
  
"You got somethin' to say to me kid?"  
  
"Yeah, you ruined my life!"  
  
"I'm sorry for the unmasking, but you have to realize that I thought . . ."  
  
"Yeah, I know that I was a criminal. You never let me forget what you thought of me. You hated me as Peter Parker, and you abhorred me as Spider- Man."  
  
"Hold it right there punk," Jameson roared, "I thought of you like a son when you worked for me. You were a lot like my kid. I tried to teach you about what you were doing. How was I supposed to know you were the bane of the city?"  
  
"Except I wasn't the bane of the city! I was risking my ass saving it! There were hundreds of witnesses saying what a hero I was, and you still chose to turn the rest of the city against me with your damn editorials. There are days I think my Aunts heart-attack was your damn fault."  
  
"Peter . . ." Ben said, trying to calm the kid down. Ben had known the kid since he had joined the Bugle, he had never seen him blow up like this.  
  
"I . . I didn't mean that," Peter said, feeling the anger he had held onto for the last year drain out of himself. Now he felt hollow.  
  
"if it makes you feel better here." Jameson tossed a newspaper onto Peter's lap. Front page headline was "Spider-Man a saint! Editor-in-Chief J. Jonah Jameson recants previous editorials regarding New York's mightiest hero". Peter looked at J.J. he had never so much as heard Jameson apologies for bumping into someone, this was amazing. "We're here to run a story about you and these mutant people," Jameson said.  
  
"We want to express how you kids are the heroes of this situation," Ben added.  
  
"I'm here to take you picture," Robbie finished he then added beneath his breath, "for a change."  
  
"wait!" Peter said as he picked up the com-link beside his bed. He called in Scott, Jean, Kitty, Evan, Jamie, Jubilee, Sam, Rogue, Bobby, Kurt, and Amanda (who just happened to be visiting at the time.  
  
They all gathered around Peter's bed, trying there best to squeeze together. Of course there was so much jostleing to get into place, by the time Robbie took the picture, there were five Jamies, Sam was out cold (he had accidently brushed cheeks with Rogue), Kurt was perched on Peter's headboard, and Jean was floating above Kurt. Two days later the picture ran front page, with the head line: "Mutant Marvels; the Uncanny X-Men, and the Amazing Spider-Man Save the Day!"  
  
Epilogue: Peter remained at the Institute until he graduated, at that point he moved back to the city and into a loft he shared with Gwen and Mary- Jane. He is still dating Jean, who is also attending Columbia University. Amanda and Kurt are engaged and are planning where to move when they get married, and Amanda doesn't care how many times articles regarding herself and Kurt use the word "Bestiality". One year after this Scott and Rogue broke up, three days later they got back together and are continuing this pattern. Matt has been seen sneaking into the Avengers Mansion late at night, and not leaving till morning. He and Wanda are to be married in next fall. Wanda chose Rogue to be her maid-of-honor. I would love to say that all lived happily ever after, but we all know our Spidey, and things are never easy for the X-Men.  
  
The End  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
you love me, you really love me! I hope you like it! Read my other stuff! Please!!!!!!!!!!! Oh and as always, please R/R 


End file.
